


Forget to Kiss

by ToTillAGarden



Series: Feeblemind [2]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Hurt No Comfort, In more ways than one, M/M, birthday angst, i guess?? all the normal feeblemind tags, the rest of the ipre+angus are implied/mentioned but theyre not really there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-03-31 22:37:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13984770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToTillAGarden/pseuds/ToTillAGarden
Summary: Taako has a Moment. Barry and Lup fight for their coworker.Kravitz almost forgets how to kiss.





	Forget to Kiss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inkedinserendipity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkedinserendipity/gifts).



> Ok, I'd say happy birthday, but if anything, this is sad birthday - but semantics aside, happy birthday to you, Seren! You're one of the many writers I aspire to be and a really good friend, and having Brin write you a crack fic isn't enough... But you Did call me out for not having a Kravitz chapter in Feeblemind, so I was like "ok, I guess I'll just write one?"
> 
> So here's that hypothetical Kravitz chapter, though it's not as good as it could have been because I'm on a time crunch and. refused to let Tess beta this for me. But still! It's here! I didn't forget about birthday presents existing!  
> Consider this a thank you for making Feeblemind happen, Seren <3
> 
> I hope you - this means all of you, now - like it! Thanks, of course, to the TFW discord for being amazing and kicking my ass into gear with word wars, and to all of you for reading!  
> Feedback's always appreciated, of course!  
> Have fun~

It didn’t take long for them to find the necromancer.

Kravitz was prepared, knowing the man’s soul signature like the back of Taako’s hand, and they had found him in an empty clearing too, making it perfect for them to take on as a team; so when it was time to strike, Kravitz felt _excited_ , if anything. He felt energized, almost _human_ with the adrenaline that coursed through him, taking advantage of it before the fight started to formulate a strategy and using it as the fight went on to be a little…. theatrical.

Taako had rubbed off on him.

But theatrical he was, making sure they all kept surrounding the necromancer to prevent him from escaping but also trying _not_ to kill him, making his spells and scythe-play more showy than damaging in the true bardic fashion. By the end of it, they were all more focused on showing off and shouting advice to Angus than actually killing the man, joking around and laughing as they fought; Kravitz even broke formation to show off reaper abilities with Lup and Barry, their scythes dancing around the necromancers body as they dipped and twirled and slashed, and then retreated back to Angus’s side to teach him a few tricks. And by the time he had returned to his spot in the circle, shooting spells with Taako at his side, he had an additional thing to laugh at: that, of course, being the necromancer’s frustration.

 

There was only one of him, and nine of them, though they _weren’t. ending. it._ Instead, they kept _laughing_ , and _dancing_ , and Taako would stop to _kiss Kravitz on the cheek_ before launching a spell that would have _murdered_ him, and he was sick of it, tired of being their plaything, their learning tool — so he charged up a spell as he kept dodging their attacks, whispering the incantation angrily under his breath as they joked, looking at each of them as they launched spell after spell after spell — and then he saw the smugness on Kravitz’s face, and _knew_ it was all his idea, knew that _he_ was the one to humiliate him like this.

 

So he smiled back, and looked at Taako, and fired.

 

And Kravitz’s smile turned very quickly into shock, his adrenaline turning into recklessness as he watched the spell make its way towards his husband, knowing right then and there that it had gone on for too long.

He dove in front of Taako, arm outstretched, and took the spell himself.

 

* * *

 

Kravitz’s body vanished as it fell.

It vanished, then quickly returned to view, like a glitch in the matrix, giving the others brief glimpses of his soul as he flickered in and out of existence; but as he reached the ground the other reapers could feel the presence of the Raven Queen fill the clearing, working to keep him intact. His form stabilized not long after, transitioning from the sharp, sudden disappearances of magic being dispelled to more like the wavering of a flame, and Kravitz, his eyes flaring with the red they often took when controlled by his Queen’s will, stared at his hands as he moved his fingers, almost testing to see if his body still worked.

Then the red of his eyes faded, but any sentience and conscious thought the Raven Queen had instilled in him left along with her presence, leaving his eyes a blank shade of brown; they were devoid of the wit and energy he once held, now windows into the emptiness of his thoughts. He just… sat there, on the ground, still opening and closing his hand in front of him for a moment as if that was all he remembered he could do, and it was then, with the Raven Queen gone and him being stuck in the same motions as his lost expression slowly gave way to panic, that Taako Blinked over to him, appearing at his side in an instant.

He wouldn’t run, not in _those_ shoes, but they could all see how he lost his composure; they could tell by that blatant waste of a spell slot, could tell by the way he crouched down to Kravitz’s level, shaking in his heels, could tell from the brief moment Taako’s hands hovered nervously over Kravitz’s shoulders before Kravitz looked up at him, recognition flickering in his now-pained expression before he fell into his husband’s arms, knocking both of them to the ground in a tangled mess of a hug. And they stayed there, for a while — Kravitz, confused and afraid and knowing nothing but his own corporeality and his love for Taako, refused to let go of him — so Taako whispered things in his ear, reassuring words that he knew were meaningless to the only one that heard them. He whispered things in his ear and combed a hand gently through his hair and squeezed his hand tight, kissing his cheek and his hair in between soft smiles, because he would do anything, in that moment, to get Kravitz to quiet down, to slow his breathing, to stop shivering from the unnatural cold his body seemed to take. He only looked away from Kravitz once, only took his eyes off of him for a moment; and even then, it was only to shoot a glare towards Lup and Barry, a signal to go _fuck the guy up for me, and make it painful._

 

It was then, with that signal, that the battle started again. The two reapers nodded at each other, almost radiating magical energy as they changed to their skeletal forms, their scythes still in hand. And it was at that moment that necromancer’s look turned from glee to panic, noticing the blood-thirsty smile on Lup’s face as he rolled out of the way of her first Fireball; he rolled, then ducked out of the way of Barry’s scythe, swiping from — _oh my god, how did he get behind me —_ and then hit the ball of his foot against the ground, necromantic energy spreading in a circle around him. It sapped the moisture of everything in the clearing, forcing Barry to back up and Lup to Levitate slightly above the spell’s reach, Barry summoning Black Tentacles from the ground to counter his attack; and the necromancer struggled with them, for a moment, trying to draw Lup’s fire to some and using Shocking Grasp to fight off the rest. He then dodged a Scorching Ray from Lup as soon as they were gone, quickly launching a spell back in Lup’s direction before Barry’s Enervation nicked him in his side, drawing from the False Life he had cast earlier. Barry paused, after that hit, and the necromancer took advantage of that to throw another spell in Barry’s direction and summon a pillar of stone behind him, letting it shatter as Lup’s fire reduced it to rubble; and before he knew it, she had Blinked to his other side, daggers made of flame in hand, and he lurched forward from the blast behind him, the leather armor he wore preventing him from falling into her blades. With that, the necromancer quickly summoned Shadow Blades to match, the two fighting it out hand to hand before the sound of a bell rang around him — a Toll the Dead from Barry — him wincing but not losing his composure as he took the hit, blocking Lup’s blades a final time before dispelling the blades and wreathing his hand in shadow, grabbing her wrist and stealing her life force before summoning a Gust of Wind between them and launching her out of the way —

 

And before Lup had even landed, he doubled over in pain. He felt himself fall, heard himself scream, felt the tears go down his face but couldn’t do anything, couldn’t move, only catching a glimpse of Taakos face as he held Kravitz close, the look in his eyes betraying the sly smile on his face as they made eye contact. And everyone watched, for a moment, almost entranced by his suffering, by the way he was curled up on the ground, by the way the pain worked its way deep into his being and made him feel nothing else, before Barry looked at Taako and Taako nodded at Barry and then he didn’t feel anything anymore.

 

Taako had had enough.

 

* * *

 

Taako couldn’t help but watch the battle between Lup, Barry, and the necromancer as it began, holding Kravitz close yet no longer focusing on him. It was intense, the asshole refueled by his own success, and no one else dared to get involved, making it almost…. _hard_ for them; yet they fought with determination, knowing better than to waste their spell slots, and Taako inwardly thanked them for the patience he knew he didn’t have.

Yet he couldn’t watch it for long, not when he heard Kravitz whimper quietly in his arms after following Taako’s gaze. His initial panic from the spell had long since subsided, him becoming used to his mental state, as painful as that was, but now, safe in Taako’s arms, he was far too aware of his surroundings, and Taako couldn’t have him running off. So Taako let Lup and Barry take care of the fight as he hushed Kravitz and got his attention, trying to smile softly. “Hey, it’s okay — they’re fighting him for you.”

Kravitz blinked, turning to look at Taako as he spoke.

“Fuck, you can’t even —“ He sighed, noticing the worry on Kravitz’s face. “You can’t just — you can’t just give me that _face_ right now. You’ll be okay, and I’m _fine_ , and Merle’ll heal you after this battle is over, and we’ll — we’ll never talk about this again. Got it?”

Kravitz put a hand up to Taako’s cheek, the elf holding back a wince.

“I — _fuck_ , you’re an ass.” He smiled, a sad, almost distorted one. “First you _jump in front of Feeblemind for me_ , and now you’re worried about me even when you don’t even fucking know your name and —“ He took a breath. “If I knew we’d end up like this, I wouldn’t have put on mascara.”

Kravitz’s hand slipped off of Taako’s face, choosing instead to tuck his head into his chest, and Taako responded by kissing the top of his head quietly.

“You’re probably tired now too.” He glanced back up at the battle, for a moment, then back down at Kravitz. “Like, I have Lup as a sous chef, so it’s fine, but _someone_ has to keep Ango busy later, you feel?”

Kravitz shifted his weight a little bit in Taako’s lap, but otherwise didn’t pay much attention.

“I was going to make ravioli today. Finally teach you how to make pasta from scratch instead of using the shitty pre-made ones?” He turned to look at his husband’s blank stare, for a moment, checking he was still awake before continuing to ramble. “But if you’re going to crash instead, I won’t blame you.”

It was quiet, for a moment, before the sound of stone breaking jolted Kravitz out of whatever trance he was stuck in, and he jumped a little in Taako’s lap, wincing at the explosion on the battlefield. Taako shushed him again, feeling the way panic bubbled in Kravitz’s throat, squeezing him tightly and kissing him quietly and wiping the tears in Kravitz’s eyes when he looked up at him.

“Don’t worry about them, will you? I get it, it’s scary, but you’re here and they’re way over there.”

Taako kissed him on the forehead, and he only then seemed to notice it, tilting his head a bit, and Taako smirked at the look on his face.

“What? Did you forget how to kiss?” He laughed almost harshly, anger filling his tone, but his anger seemed to go unnoticed when Taako kissed him again.

Kravitz blinked, almost in shock for a moment, then stretched to kiss Taako on the cheek — only for Taako to perk up just before he reached him, picking up his wand as he heard Lup cry of pain — and quickly shrunk back into Taako’s lap as he channeled the spell, the word “fuck” escaping his lips when he was too desperate to think of anything better.

 

It was fine, Taako thought as he covered Kravitz’s ears with his hands. It didn’t _have_ to be cool, as long as it worked.

He had long since given up on his dignity.

 

* * *

 

The others had insisted on getting Kravitz healed up as soon as the battle was over, Lup dismissing her wounds despite knowing how much Taako worried and Barry insisting that Kravitz could end up healing them once he was feeling better; and Merle healed Kravitz while he was still in Taako’s lap, leaving the two to hold each other. And they stayed there in silence, for a while, Kravitz’s tight squeeze reminding Taako that he was still aware, not daring to move until Kravitz peeked his head out of Taako’s chest, breaking their precious silence.

 

“So, are you finally going to let me kiss you?”

**Author's Note:**

> Well, there goes the only Feeblemind spinoff I was ever planning on writing.....
> 
> I'll see you with the next chapter of the real fic, I guess? Or here in the comments section! That works too!
> 
> Wherever it is, though, I'll be back <3


End file.
